Beautiful, detailed steel engraving from the bas relief by J.H. Foley.
In the dark history of the Indian Mutiny, the name of Brigadier General Nicholson is one of the roll of noble soldiers who stands out for his achievements. Nicholson fell, mortally wounded, in the streets of Delhi, after the storming and capture of the Cashmere Bastion. The grief and rage of his soldiers were unbounded. He died soon after at the age of thirty-five.
Foley's bas-relief forms part of the monument erected in Lisburn Cathedral in memory of the dead warrior. In compliance with the expressed wish of some of Nicholson's relatives, the sculptor has excluded from his design all representation of the general's appearance on the scene. The spectator must imagine him from behind the parapet, leading the troops under his command. Of the three foremost men in the composition, two belong to the Fusilier Guards, and the other to the 75th Regiment, of which Nicholson was colonel. The group of slain is composed of a Brahmin, a Hindoo, a Mussulman, and a British officer. To the extreme left is a private of the 75th, who has struck down a Sepoy, but being himself wounded and unable to join his comrades in the attack, is cheering them on to victory, already signalised by the British flag planted on the wall. On the scaling ladder below that by which Nicholson entered the breach, is one of the men belonging to the reinforcements. The church in the background is the English church of St. Paul. The mass of smoke on the left is supposed to arise from guns fired behind the fortifications.
Printed on heavyweight ivory/cream stock. Reverse side is blank.
Title (printed below image): The Cashmere Bastion, Delhi. Sept. 14, 1857
Publication: The Art Journal
Publication Year: 1865
Publisher: London: Virtue & Co., Ltd.
Approximate Page Size (in inches): 12.75 x 9
Approximate Image Size (in inches): 10 x 6.5
Condition: Excellent.
Library blind stamp* in margin goes partially into image area, but does not detract from the beauty of this print.
*blind stamp: A colorless impression that is embossed on paper.
